


The Visit

by idrilhadhafang



Series: Star Wars, Episode IX: The Edge of Darkness [1]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Creepy Snoke (Star Wars), Evil Snoke, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Grieving Kylo Ren, Kylo Ren Angst, Kylo Ren Has Issues, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Kylo Ren is Not Nice, POV Kylo Ren, Sad Luke, Snoke Being a Dick, Uncle-Nephew Relationship, executions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2019-02-08 20:38:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12872547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: Kyle goes to visit his uncle.





	The Visit

 The Star Destroyer the _Finalizer_ was stuck in hyperspace for quite some time. And while the soldiers toiled aboard the bridge, in his quarters, Kylo Ren spoke to Supreme Leader Snoke through a hologram. 

“...and Skywalker’s been terribly quiet,” Kylo said. “I gave the stormtroopers explicit orders to not beat him.”

”Sentiment?”

”Supreme Leader, he is an old man. Beating him would most likely kill him, and we would lose the information we seek.” 

The Supreme Leader looked thoughtful. “Practicality, then.”

”Basically."

”Do not hesitate to put your talents to work if necessary. And when he gets to the _Liberator..._ we will have to execute him.”

And despite himself, Kylo Ren could not help but be hesitant. He had overseen his share of executions before, of course; this was nothing new. Nothing unusual. And yet he could not bring himself to oversee the execution of his own uncle. He had not enjoyed killing his father, and he had mourned his mother’s death. Was still mourning her. 

“If he could be turned — ’’

”Skywalker _must_ die!” the Supreme Leader said. “If not at your hands, or another’s, then mine. He would bring the Resistance hope, he would undo everything I sought to build. As long as he lives, he is a threat. If the new Jedi rise, the galaxy will be thrown out of balance. They will only corrupt it, pollute it, as they have before.”

Kylo Ren could not argue with that. And even seeing the sheer rage and hatred even with the Supreme Leader mentioning Luke Skywalker, he could not help but flinch if slightly on the inside. The anger of the Supreme Leader was something to be feared. 

“Of course,” Kylo Ren said. 

“Then we are understood. You seem troubled, however.”

There was no use hiding his thoughts from the Supreme Leader. 

“It is the General. I do not mourn her — ’’

“You are a poor liar.”

” — but I wish to have some sort of closure on her. Please.” 

The Supreme Leader looked thoughtful. Considering. Then he said, “She did nothing but hurt you, and you wish to have a funeral for her?”

The Supreme Leader was wise, as always, and yet Kylo Ren could remember other instances where it wasn’t so. Unwelcome memories that crept up to the surface. He blinked behind the helmet, and took a deep breath. 

“Yes.”

”You are a fool. And an ingrate. You think that I haven’t done enough for you, don’t you?”

Kylo Ren swallowed. “Supreme Leader, I assure you that’s not the case — ’’

”Indeed?” Snoke looked at him, truly piercing in the way he looked. “Or is it your own melodramatic interior struggles coming to the surface again? First it was the Enclave on Yavin, and from there, you’ve faltered.”

”If it’s about Jaina — ’’

“I do not care that she beat you,” Snoke said. “I care that you tried to leave me.”

”I won’t betray you again.”

”Will you?” said Snoke, coolly. “We shall see.”

The hologram faded out, and Kylo Ren was left alone. Melodramatic interior struggles, the Supreme Leader called them. Perhaps he was right. Vader never would have had such mixed feelings towards his enemies. Vader would not have had compassion. Vader would have simply carried out the Emperor’s commands, without hesitation, without guilt or regret. 

Vader would not have had to mourn his own mother. 

Kylo Ren did not have any of his mother’s possessions, or her body, or anything like that. He didn’t even have some place to send them out into. Not like the ocean, not like space. He was having this funeral without the body, without the possessions. But he could deal with that. 

He held the funeral, his own personal funeral, sitting in his quarters and talking about his mother to Vader’s helmet, his only witness to this. He spoke of the gifts and curses she had given him in equal measure. And then he bowed his head, took in the silence for the moment. 

After a while, Kylo took a deep breath and got to his feet. It was time to see his uncle.

He headed down the hallway towards the interrogation chamber where his uncle was. The others didn’t hesitate to move aside. They knew that when Kylo Ren came to the interrogation chamber, it usually meant business. An incredible amount of business, actually. Kylo headed into the chamber in that moment, where his uncle was strapped to the interrogation chair.

His uncle looked old. Was old, and there was something about his face that looked weary, like he had been through much. And yet there was a certain grace to him. A certain dignity that didn’t seem to have been lost. Ben would have pitied him and admired him all in one. Kylo Ren couldn’t afford to.

“Skywalker." Kylo didn’t miss the way that hurt flashed on his uncle’s face even as Kylo said it. 

“Ben,” Luke said. “It’s been a while.”

If you could count six years as a while. “I have my orders to escort you to the Supreme Leader’s flagship,” Kylo said. “But for now...I have some questions for you. Many questions.”

”You won’t have to invade my mind for this, Ben.”

”Excellent.” Kylo doubted he could do it a second time, or, in terms of interrogations...at least another time. He had interrogated so many people that he could barely count them. Kara Meers, and Poe and Jaina, has only been the most painful ones. 

“I owe you an explanation,” Luke said. “A great many of them, actually.”

”Why did you leave?”

“I sought to defeat the First Order.”

”Why fight the First Order? It’s what the galaxy needs.”

”Is any of what Snoke’s doing what the galaxy needs? Or any of what you’re doing, Ben?”

”My name is not Ben,” Kylo said tightly. “Ben Solo is dead, and no one will miss him, nor should they.”

Not far across from them, something wobbled and fell to the floor. Kylo could feel the stormtroopers dispersing, at least grateful that it wasn’t another tantrum of their commander’s.

”Very well,” Luke said. “Kylo. Do you really think that what you’re doing is right?”

”Without hesitation,” Kylo said, and yet he himself didn’t feel convinced. 

“You’re a terrible liar.”

”So I’ve been told. But I am doing...good in service of the First Order.” 

Luke looked at him, his eyes all but piercing Kylo’s own. Then, “You don’t really believe that, do you?”

”Were your Jedi any better? At least the First Order seeks to stabilize the galaxy. You...you did nothing. And the Resistance only seeks to preserve corruption in the galaxy.”

 “We weren’t perfect, but we’re nothing like you describe.”

Kylo looked at him critically. “To say that you weren’t perfect is quite the understatement.”

”We meant it for the best.”

”Indeed.” Kylo took a deep breath. “So your way of stopping us was to hide on an island as part of a master plan?”

”You could say that."

”How the mighty have fallen.” Kylo looked over at Luke again. "And your own daughter? Why did you leave her on Jakku?”

”To keep her away from Snoke.”

”And a fine job you did of that,” Kylo said, sarcastically. “Leaving your own daughter to hunger, thirst, and loneliness — ’’

”I thought she was safe with Aaron and Zara. I never thought...” Luke trailed off, clearly horrified. 

“That makes sense. You didn’t think. And your daughter was left to starvation, thirst and degradation. You must have been — ’’

”Don’t,” Luke said. “You have no idea.”

”I have a general idea.”

Silence. 

“Kylo...I actually have some questions for you.” A pause. “Why did you kill your own father? And what are you going to do with me now?”

Kylo paused. “It gave me no pleasure,” he said, “But it was necessary. He was an enemy of the First Order.”

”How — ’’

 

 

“As for what I’ll do with you...” Kylo paused. “I’ll have to lead you to your execution. It gives me no pleasure, but it is necessary.”

”Necessary how?”

”The Supreme Leader believes in balance — ’’

”By whose definition? His?”

”Yes, his!” Kylo said. “And the Resistance, ever self-righteous, ever wanting to relive the glory days, would ruin it.”

Silence. Then, “You’re even sounding like him.”

”Better than you.”

Luke looked tense. Almost like he could have been carved from stone. Then, “Snoke is using you. When he gets what he wants, he’ll toss you aside.”

”You sound like Han Solo, at the end.” Kylo’s voice went softer all the while. “If it comforts you, he did not die like a coward.”

”No.” Luke was quiet as he spoke. “He did not.”

Silence. Then Mitaka walked into the room, clearly nervous. He was always a nervous man, Kylo thought, twitchy, hesitant. The sort who perhaps should not have become an officer. 

“Sir,” he said. “We’ve just come in contact with the Liberator.”

”Good. I will prepare to board.”

He didn’t take the cuffs off Luke Skywalker’s wrists even as he led him to the shuttle that would board the Liberator. He could only hope that the execution would be short, but then again, such executions were not usually this way. Not truly. He could only hope that he would be able to stand firm for what was to come. 

 


End file.
